


Things We Lost in the Fire

by sophe



Series: All This Bad Blood [2]
Category: Dragon Age - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-24
Updated: 2014-10-24
Packaged: 2018-02-22 10:29:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,984
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2504543
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sophe/pseuds/sophe
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Life as a Warden wasn't at all what Elissa had expected, but Duncan was about to change all the rules.  Elissa and Duncan head to Denerim to put an end to one problem and investigate another problem - one that could lead to bigger problems for the entire Warden organization.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Things We Lost in the Fire

**Author's Note:**

> When I wrote this, I wanted it to be able to stand alone, but still be part of an overarching story. While you don't need to read Pompeii in order to appreciate Things We Lost in the Fire, it does help. Modern AU's are weird. It's sometimes difficult to apply canon to the story and have it be believable, it's also awkward as all get out to transfer the age of characters into the world I am creating. So, while I tried to keep them close, I fudged some of the ages here and there to fit them more comfortably into the story. Basically, I youngered (opposite of aged) Maric, aged Alistair, and shoehorned everyone else into the line a little bit. I also sort of got around it by really only mentioning Elissa's age. (I have notes with everyone's age, but until there is a need for them to be included I won't be mentioning them.)
> 
> Some people love AUs, some people hate them, and some people just don't care either way. If Modern AUs are scaring you off of this story, please give it a shot. Plus there are yoga pants a plenty to haunt poor Duncan. 
> 
> I upped the rating to teen because of implied sexual content. (I promise, no character ever says the words, "I like the way your tits bounce" – which for the record, is not usually something that a woman wants to hear while being intimate with someone.)

Duncan sighed and counted to ten before entering the library. Elissa avoided spending time with the other Wardens when she was back at Soldier's Peak and despite, or more likely because of, all of his attempts to encourage her to socialize with her peers, she resisted. She certainly had friends, but it was terribly small group considering the number of Wardens residing at the Peak. He reminded himself that he wasn't there to cajole her into spending time away from the books.

"Warden?"

Elissa looked up from the folio and pushed the glasses she wore for reading ancient texts up over her forehead. "Duncan?"

He sat down across from her and tossed a large manila envelope down onto the table. She didn't look away from him while she straightened up the books and made room for the envelope. "I didn't realize that Commander duties included delivering mail."

"The Warden in Highever just got back and it was in the packet for me."

Elissa upended the envelope and invitations spilled out over the table. "Mother's not giving up, is she?" She spread them out and ran her fingers over the heavy paper of the expensive paper. "The Guerrins are hosting a weekend garden fete to start the Denerim season." She had opened an envelope on the top and as soon as she saw Isolde and Eamon's names she tossed it aside.

Duncan chuckled. "You could bring Alistair and watch Isolde slowly implode."

The gold invitation at the bottom of the pile caught both of their eyes and Elissa picked it up. She held the edges between her hands and shook her head at the expensive details – Crimson mabaris in each corner, framing the crimson script of her name. She finally stopped staring at it and opened the sealed envelope. She glanced at the invitation before handing it to Duncan. "Refusal would be bad form."

Duncan nodded his head. "It would." He gently placed the invitation back on the table. "Maric and I always had a good working relationship."

Elissa practically jumped in her chair. Duncan dribbled information out to her in excruciatingly small amounts and she didn't want to distract him if he was about to reveal a tiny bit more of the secrets hidden behind the massive curtain that was the Grey Warden organization.

"We made a trip down to the deep roads once. It was after Rowan died so his absence was explained away as mourning." Duncan spun the invitation around with his fingertip. "We needed to investigate a rumor and before his coronation, when Orlais had infiltrated the monarchy and was manipulating the state of affairs, Maric had explored some of the unmapped Deep Road areas. He and his mother were living in exile and under close scrutiny. Of course he would have gone into the deep roads. It must have seemed to be a bit of freedom in a life where freedom was a facade. He was more informed about that area than any other Warden."

Elissa gripped the seat of her chair. She had so many questions, but knew better than to ask. Duncan would change the subject to more mundane topics like he had every other time she had asked a question.

Duncan looked up at Elissa and almost laughed at her expression - she looked like a bowstring about ready to snap. "Perhaps this is the perfect opportunity to implement my Constable's suggestion."

She slumped back in the chair and glowered at him. "And what suggestion is that?" She crossed her arms over her chest, frustrated at being denied more unauthorized Warden stories.

Duncan combed his fingers through his beard and smiled at her. He had refused to send her out on any op where she had to spend the night since the only way they were able to control her dreams was through sleeping pills and even those weren't a guarantee that she wouldn't wake up in a near panic. She showed up in the middle of the night, knocking at his door, at least once a week. If she woke up once, she was bound to wake up several more times and she hated being alone when the dreams invaded.

The first few times, Duncan insisted that she take the bed and he rested in a chair pulled up next to the bed. But she woke up so frequently on those dream filled nights that he started sleeping next to her. She would sit up straight and he'd wrap his arms around her, telling her to breathe and when she obeyed and her body relaxed they would lie back down until the next time she woke up. It was still distressing to witness, but at least Duncan was becoming more used to it. He couldn't ask any other Warden to watch over her and she wouldn't have wanted any other Warden to witness her attacks.

Six weeks since her joining and she hadn't done more than research, analysis, and training after the trip to Antiva. Sean had recommended removing her from the covert list. It wasn't like they would be able to use her anytime soon and she might actually be better suited to a more public role. Plus, she was driving the Chamberlain crazy with her constant requests. The First Warden had mentioned that Duncan might find a task to keep her busy enough so the Chamberlain could catch up with his other duties.

Duncan tapped the invitation. "RSVP, Warden. And tell them that you will bringing a guest."

"Who am I bringing?" She stared at the invitation as though it might bite her.

"Me." Duncan grinned at her surprise. "It's time for Ferelden to see the newest Warden."

"What about Aedan? Who is he going to bring?" She diverted the topic to another subject, something she was good at when she wanted to process new information and didn't want to reveal too much.

"Whoever he asks." Duncan shrugged. "Speak with Woosley about fittings for a wardrobe and make sure when you RSVP to each event you let them know you will bringing a guest." The Couslands had presented Elissa the year before, but this year she would be introduced as Warden and he was going to be next to her. He stood up to leave her alone with the invitations. "You also might want to let your mother know that you'll be in Denerim for the entire season and will be staying at the Warden Compound." He added, almost as an afterthought.

*******

"I have a cousin in Kirkwall. She's kind of cute, I guess." Daylen suggested to Aedan.

Since coming back from Antiva, Aedan had been spending less time with Elissa and more time with Alistair and the others. It wasn't that Elissa wasn't welcome, it was just that she seemed to rather be anywhere else except than where she was. Breakfast and dinner were the two times a day where Aedan actually insisted that Elissa actively participate. It was breakfast, so Lyna, Natia, Aedan, Alistair, Elissa, and Daylen were sitting in the cafeteria eating and discussing the upcoming social engagements.

Lyna pushed her perfectly styled blonde hair behind an ear and studied Elissa. "I can't believe you're going with Duncan."

"I am not going with Duncan. He's just acting as my escort." Elissa corrected.

Natia snorted and rolled her eyes while shoveling scrambled eggs into her mouth. "Please, A Warden looks twice at you and he gets sent out on some assignment."

"What's your cousin like?" Aedan saw her discomfort and tried to intervene.

"Beth? She's really nice."

Elissa jumped in, seeing a way to further deflect the attention away from her. "I don't remember meeting any Amells in Kirkwall."

"Ahh, well they aren't, they would be Hawkes."

Elissa's eyes widened and she coughed on her orange juice and Aedan glared at her. Natia patted Elissa's back until she had recovered. They all sensed a story and all of them wanted to hear all about it. "Would Beth happen to have a sister named Marian?"

Daylan turned to look at Aedan. "I don't know whether to be amazed or disgusted."

Alistair was laughing at the revelation. "Oh, amazement is more fun. We can live vicariously through his conquests without worrying about having an older brother beat the crap out of us when we don't call his sister the next day."

"First of all, I try to make sure that they don't have older brothers and second of all, I always call them the next day to let them know that I am being called away to some family emergency or another."

Elissa just nodded her head in agreement. "He does. Although I am not sure why that's such a good thing."

Alistair grinned at Elissa. She was the only one who could really poke at Aedan, but then she also had her entire lifetime to hone her skill. Elissa noticed that Lyna was ignoring the conversation centering on Aedan's sexual conquests and focusing on the food instead. It was the first time that Lyna hadn't offered up her opinion.

"Of course, you could always ask another Warden, Ade." Elissa avoided Natia's elbow. "Mother won't be very happy, but then I don't think there is much either of us can do that would make her happy right now."

"She still hasn't forgiven you?" Alistair shook his head in confusion.

"Nope. The spare," Aedan pointed to himself and then Elissa, "and the spare's spare are huge disappointments to the Teyrna of Highever, the Cousland."

Natia did her little laugh and snort combination again. "Spare's spare?"

"Yep. When she was busying conspiring with Lady Vael, Seb and I were known as the Spares' spares. I guess it made for good tabloid headlines." Elissa added some sugar to her coffee. "I always wanted to go bowling just to see what kind of headline they could come up with, but Seb flat out refused. Something about wearing someone else's shoes."

Elissa looked at her watch and sighed. She actually enjoyed talking with her friends, despite what Aedan and Duncan believed, but she had another fitting to go to. "I need to run guys, but seriously, Ade., ask a Warden. It will be a lot less complicated." She waved good bye to her friends and headed toward Duncan's office and Woosley – her new best friend.

*******

Lyna and Natia's words lurked in the shadows of Elissa's mind and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't chase them away. As a result, she was off during her training session with Lyna. The consequence of not being able to compartmentalize her thoughts was having to spar against Sean, which wasn't going any better. It was turning into a chain reaction of epic proportions.

Sean knocked her down onto her back again. She had lost count of the number of times she had looked up at the ceiling. Elissa pushed herself back to her feet and prepared to be swept off her feet again. At least most of the other Wardens who had been observing the sparring had left and she could enjoy her humiliation in relative solitude.

"Warden!" Duncan stood in the doorway with his arms crossed over his chest.

Elissa pushed away the memory of seeing him bare-chested her first night as a warden and stood in front of him, prepared to add another ugly link to the chain.

"My office. Now." Duncan turned and walked out of the room.

Elissa looked over at Sean. "I'm about to get a lecture, aren't I, Constable?"

Sean smiled at her with the sympathy of a man who had witnessed enough similar lectures. "A word of advice?"

Elissa nodded her head. Not like she could actually tell him that she wasn't interested.

"Enjoy the silence on the walk to his office." He tossed her a clean towel. "And don't keep him waiting too long."

She caught the towel and wrapped it around her neck. Elissa was smart enough to realize that he was telling her not to pass go, instead, head straight to jail. She took a breath and steeled herself for the upcoming berating, but before she could even reach the door Sean gave her a small bit of consolement.

"We've all been there, Elissa. You aren't the first, and you won't be the last."

She smiled her thanks and headed to her fate. No point in avoiding it or putting it off if it only served to make Duncan more angry. She had been hoping to be able to visit the library after sparring, but that plan had gone out the window. Ever since she had done as ordered and RSVP'd to each and every invitation, her life at the Peak had changed. Once word got out that she would be at Denerim, more invitations arrived. After the additional invitations there were phone calls from friends and acquaintances. Seb had called several times, but she her skills at avoiding his questions were increasing. She thought that she was supposed to gain independence when she became a Warden, at least that's what Duncan had promised her. It just didn't feel that way. Aedan definitely had more independence than he had before and from what the other Wardens said, they had gained more independence too. Elissa made a mental note to check under her bed and see if hers was hiding there.

*******

Duncan looked up from his computer screen when Elissa stepped into his office. "Close the door."

She took another step in and shut the door behind her. He silently cursed at his Constable. Sean had sent her to him her sparring attire. The fucking yoga pants – at some point they had graduated from damnable, but Duncan wasn't sure when it happened exactly – and the long-lined jog bra female wardens wore. An embroidered griffon perched at the center of the perfect shelf her breasts formed and another one winked out at him from its spot on her right hip.

Elissa took another step into the room and remained standing. "Commander."

"You're slacking." He concentrated on keeping his gaze on her eyes, they weren't exactly safe, but it was better than looking elsewhere.

"I am having a bad day." Elissa realized that her reason sounded more like an excuse and cringed.

"Wardens can't afford bad days."

"Yes, Commander."

"Just because we haven't sent you out in the field, doesn't mean that you can be lax in your training. How are you with your rifle?" He already knew the answer, but asked the question anyway.

There was no way she could answer that question without sounding like she was making another excuse. She went for brutal honesty and hoped to gain a few points. "Not as well as I should be."

"Bow?"

"My instructors tell me that if I continue with my progress at the same rate, I should be capable of achieving recognition as a Ranger." At least she had something positive to report.

"You should be better with your daggers. When we're in Denerim you will spar with me."

"Yes, Commander." She tried, but she couldn't contain her groan.

Duncan leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms behind his neck. "You have a lot of potential, Elissa. We wouldn't push you if you weren't capable." He heard himself say her name and wondered if she heard the same things he did. Her expression stayed the same, but she blinked her eyes a few times. He continued on, before he lost his resolve. "I appreciate that you're an academic, but you need to spend less time in the library. Until further notice, it will be off limits to you."

He could see and hear the deep breath she used to center herself. "Yes, Commander."

"Dismissed."

Elissa nodded her head and left his office. She just wanted to go to her room, but Woosely stopped her. "Elissa, you have just enough time to take a shower before the fitting."

The pity from the secretary almost sent Elissa into a fit of tears, but she managed to maintain control – barely. She thanked Woosley and ran up to room.

Once she was gone, Duncan stepped out of his office and headed to Woosley. There were details that needed to be finalized before he headed East to the Capital and it was easier to talk to her at her desk than in his office. He reached for a piece of cheese from the tray sitting on her desk, but she slapped his hand away.

"That's not for you." She looked up at him with an accusatory glare. "I'll have your itinerary finalized for you to sign off on it tomorrow morning and we can send it to Weisshaupt."

Woosley had been a Warden for several years, she was probably one of the oldest Wardens, just after Avernus. She was strong in the field, but she was even stronger behind the desk and Duncan wasn't sure what he had done to deserve her ire, but he wasn't willing to risk any more of it by asking why either. He might have been the Commander in Ferelden, but Woosley was the one who steered the ship. Without her, he'd be lost. He walked back into his office, snatched his phone off his desk and walked back out.

"I'm headed to Avernus' office then to my rooms." He made his escape before her glare turned into a death stare.

He moved through the manor in a bit of a daze, nodding absently to the Wardens he passed while he tried to wrangle his wandering thoughts. By the time he reached Avernus, his thoughts were mostly in order and he was able to concentrate enough to learn that there was no new information. If anything the news was worse. With each new lead chased down there was hope at the start and despair at the end. Hope that the lead would reveal the answer and despair that they were running out of leads.

"It's time we consider Vimmark." Avernus looked at Duncan with a combination of excitement and regret.

"No. It's not an option." Duncan refused to even consider visiting the Warden prison, even talking about it felt wrong. "Nothing good has ever come from that place and I am not going to risk Elissa by using anything found from there on her."

Avernus shrugged his shoulders, "we're running out of options, Duncan. Pretty soon it's going to be the only one we have."

"You sent samples of her blood out?" Duncan already knew the answer, but he needed to hear it again.

"Every keep received a sample and every scientist is studying it. I even sent it to some of the colleges."

"What about Tevinter?"

"That's riskier than Vimmark. If any of the magisters found the answer, it could open the door to a world we don't want to think about." Even Avernus had his limits.

"I'll find out if any of our assets there can help us."

Avernus grabbed Duncan's arm and held on to it with a hidden strength. "Duncan, Tevinter cannot be a resource in this. You know my feelings about the Chantry and the Colleges and you know where I stand when it comes to science, but Tevinter is not an option here." He let go of Duncan's arm to gesture to the stack of papers in the corner of his office. "With each request for a document, I add at least twenty others to keep their scientists guessing about what it is I am researching. We _can't_ use Tevinter." By the end of his speech, Avernus was pleading with Duncan.

"Fine. For now, but I will not rule them out." Duncan wasn't willing to back off completely, but he also wasn't willing to cause Avernus any additional anxiety. The old scientist blamed himself for Elissa's condition, convinced that somehow he had administered the vaccine incorrectly. Duncan left the office in a worse state than when he left his own and walked to his rooms.

*******

Elissa stood on the fitting block and stared at the gown in the mirror. Woosley smoothed her silvered hair back into its place and smiled at the younger Warden.

"It really is beautiful."

"Warden Blue?" Elissa was staring at the fine beading and embroidery decorating the bodice of the white strapless gown.

"Of course." Woosley's eyes brightened. "Everything you'll be wearing during your month in Denerim will be a variation of Warden Blue. You'll be the envy of every woman at the Royal Gala."

"Until they realize that I'm a Warden." Elissa tilted her head to the side at her reflection. "Then I'll be pitied."

Woosley was sitting behind her desk, there was no break from making sure that the Warden contingent in Ferelden ran smoothly. "You confuse him, Elissa. Your unique situation has left him even more confused. He doesn't know how to deal with you. He doesn't know how to deal with you, Elissa, and he's hoping that the answer will fall in his lap."

Elissa's cheeks reddened in embarrassment. She really didn't want to be having this conversation with her Commander's secretary and she most definitely didn't want to be having this conversation in front of the designer and his bevy of assistants. "Are these topazes?"

"Sapphires." The designer readjusted the gown so that the flowers and vines were centered just below her breasts. 

The designer's name littered the pages and website of every tabloid since only the top celebrities and wealthiest women wore his gowns. Elissa had never expected that she would wear one of his gowns in her entire life, and certainly not as a Warden. She figured that he must be an asset and idly wondered if anyone in Thedas wasn't working for the Wardens in some capacity. 

Woosley looked up from whatever form she was filling out in triplicate. "Moira wore that dress. Duncan specifically requested it."

Elissa almost fell off the fitting block, but the designer managed to keep her upright. "Moira? The King's mother Moira?"

The designer nodded his head. "It's been in our vault since she wore it."

Elissa closed her eyes took several deep breaths. She opened her eyes and took in as many of the details of the gown as possible - the small flowers made from gemstones running across the top of the dress, the points coming down from the flower trim, and flower and vine embroidery flowing down the skirt of the gown. "So either you owed Duncan a really big favor or he's going to owe you an even bigger favor."

The designer chucked. "My uncle, the founder of the house, owed the Wardens a favor." He readjusted the pleat in the back of the gown. "He designed this gown." The designer turned to Woosley. "I'll send the wardrobe with two assistants to Denerim."

Elissa tried not to twist around to see the conversation she could hear. "Wardrobe?"

"I'll make sure that the compound is aware and that we have accommodations for them. Will they need a room for adjustments?"

Elissa studied the Warden in the mirror and wondered if anything at all had changed. The designer stripped the gown from her and dismissed her. As she walked to the cafeteria, she realized that nothing at all had changed.

She sat through dinner, smiling, avoiding questions about the lecture and her upcoming trip to Denerim, and asking appropriate questions about upcoming assignments. As soon as it wouldn't be considered rude, she made her excuses of having an early morning and headed up to her room.

Within the confines of her solitude she replayed the lecture over and over again in her mind. Duncan had called her Elissa and not Warden. He had called her Elissa. She was no longer Warden. That night, when the dreams came to Elissa, she didn't make her way to Duncan's rooms.

*******

Elissa stepped from Duncan's car and walked through the door of the Warden compound in Denerim. "Why couldn't we take a plane again?"

"Because we were a hundred miles away and flying would have been pretentious." Duncan didn't want to tell her the real reason, he wanted to drive his car. It had been showcased in the latest movie about a secret agent with a penchant for martinis and women with names that are double entendres. Duncan didn't like martinis, he liked scotch, and he couldn’t remember any woman in his past with a name that was a double entendre, but he definitely liked the car and drove it whenever he had an opportunity.

Elissa grabbed her bag and walked up the stairs to the townhouse. She reached for the door handle, but had to stop when she noticed, perhaps a bit belatedly, that there wasn't a door handle on the door. She looked at the door for a hidden latch or perfectly camouflaged contraption that would allow her to open the door.

Duncan's voice came from the bottom of the stairs and was laced with laughter. "You need to knock. You can't open it from the outside."

"I was going to try that next." She refused to look at him, not wanting to let him see her blush. She knocked on the door and tried to ignore Duncan's laughter.

He followed her up the stairs and through the door when it opened. "And before you ask, we have an underground garage."

She looked around the hallway, studying the portraits of the past Warden Commanders of Ferelden that lined the walls. Images of heroic Wardens from the centuries ago stared down at her, pinning her in place with their judgmental glares. "You wanted to show off your car?"

Duncan ignored her comment and placed his hand on the small of her back, pushing her further into the townhouse. "You have an hour before you need to start getting ready."

"Did Woosley schedule in bathroom breaks for me too?" She tried to ignore the pressure of his hand and instead focused on the portrait at the end of the hall. Unfortunately it was the current Warden Commander.

"Yes."

Elissa immediately stopped and looked at him, the pressure of Duncan's hand forgotten. "I was kidding."

"Unfortunately, I wasn't." Duncan urged her forward again.

"Where is everyone?" Elissa was noticing that there was a distinct lack of Wardens around.

"We keep a small staff here, but this is a visiting residence." He guided her into an office and pushed her into a chair. "There are no permanent Wardens in Denerim."

"Really?"

"With Loghain Mac Tir living here, we felt it was for the best." Duncan sat down across from her. "You need to speak with Anora privately tonight." Duncan was looking down at his phone as he spoke.

"What does our conversation need to be about?" Elissa deliberately pushed all of the other questions out of the way in an endeavor to be the epitome of a Warden. Her phone announced a new message with a beep, but she ignored it.

"Check your phone, Warden." Duncan stood up and walked around to the other side of the desk and settled in to catch up on the work that he couldn't attend to while driving.

Elissa pulled her phone out and glanced at the message. She looked up at Duncan and bit her bottom lip, wondering if the question was worth answering. With a breath she gave into her curiosity. "I am sitting in the same room and you are sending me messagaes?"

"Download and open the files." Duncan looked up at her with a tight grin. "You need to make sure that Anora sees those this evening. I don't care how you do it or what you have to do."

Her eyes widened at the images. "What should I say to her?"

"Whatever you want. Like I said before, I don't care." Ducan had returned to the reading of accumulated emails and memos. "Dismissed."

Elissa stood up and nodded at him before turning to leave the office. Apparently he was leaving her to fend for herself for the next hour, which wasn't necessarily a bad thing. She had been planning on Aedan being there with her, but there was a minor crisis in the Brecillian forest that needed to be investigated. Duncan had sent Aedan off with Alistair, Lyna, and Daylen to handle the problem. There weren't any more full-blooded Dalish in Thedas, but a few of their descendants and some who just claimed to be descendants lived in the forests the way they thought that the Dalish once had. This particular group had a history of hysterics, but one of the latest hysterical messages had caused the Wardens to sit up and pay attention. The absence of her brother and any permanent Wardens meant that Elissa was going to be alone a lot. At Soldier's Peak, she would have appreciated the solitude, but in Denerim it felt more like isolation.

She straightened her back, tucked her phone into her bag, and surveyed the doors leading off the hallway, trying to figure out which one was most likely to lead to stairs and hopefully her bedroom. She reached out the closest door that didn't lead back into Duncan's office, but before she could even reach the handle the door opened and one of the largest men she had ever seen barely avoided colliding into her.

Elissa's eyes widened and she attempted to apologize, but she was too surprised to put a simple sentence together.

The man smiled at her and reached out to help her regain her balance. "You must be, Elissa. I am Blackwall, the Warden Commander from Orlais."

"Oh." A small crease between her eyes tightened with the revelation of his origination. "I didn't realize, I mean Duncan never told me that there would be others here from other areas."

Blackwall laughed and his entire body shook with the noise. "I am just here for the night. A contingency plan really." He peered down at her for a moment, as though he was considering his next words. "Did Duncan just leave you alone then?"

Elissa visibly swallowed and nodded her head.

"Then I suppose, I should show you around?" He hoisted his back over his shoulder and started off to a door manufactured to blend in with the wall. Elissa would never have seen it unless she was looking for it. "We'll get you situated in a room and then head to the kitchens. Are you hungry?"

The Orlais Commander swept her along, not giving her a chance to refuse his assistance. Elissa smiled a bit when the first thought that came to her mind was that her mother would like him for his manners. And then the thought of her mother probably also being in Denerim and not having Aedan around to diffuse Lady Cousland's ire chased away whatever pleasant feelings she might have had.

*******

Elissa could barely sit in the car without fear of ruining the gown, but she persevered. Duncan glanced over at her and tried not to laugh at her predicament. He settled for turning the radio down.

"I don't think I need to remind you that Blackwall's presence here should not be mentioned to anyone."

"And yet you are reminding me now, so either you think I will blab, or you think I don't know any better." She tried not shift in the seat lest a gemstone or bead came off. "I am not sure which is worse."

Duncan rolled his eyes as he pulled the car behind the line of cars and limos dropping guests off under the portico protecting the honored invitees from both the risk of inclement weather and ingenious paparazzi. "Do not be obtuse, Warden, it is not worthy of the woman who wore than gown before you."

Elissa suppressed the urge to stick her tongue out at him and instead took the route of appeasement. "Thank you for keeping my mother away this afternoon." It was bad enough being prodded and primped by a team of strangers, but having to fend off her mother's backhanded compliments and passive aggressive criticisms would have made it even worse. 

Duncan grunted an acknowledgement as the line of cars creeped forward. They remained in an uncomfortable silence until there was a single car ahead of them. "Smile, Warden. You're about to outshine even the princess."

Elissa smirked, "you know, some people would consider that to be bad form."

"None of those people are Grey Wardens, Elissa." He reached over and squeezed her hand reassuringly. 

It was the first human gesture he had made towards her since they had entered the townhouse together and Elissa wasn't sure how to feel about it. Before she had time to think about it, one of the liveried men standing outside the massive entry way opened the car door for her. Another ran around to the driver's side and by the time Elissa had been extracted from the low profiled car without damaging the gown, Duncan was standing next to her with a proffered arm.

Elissa ignored the hushed whispers surrounding them as they moved through the entry hall towards the throne room. Duncan handed the steward the invitation and stopped outside the doors. Her fingers tightened around his arm and together they stepped into the cavernous receiving hall. Duncan shortened his stride and they moved towards the two thrones on the dais at the end of the hall. King Maric sat in the largest of the two and the other was empty. For whatever reason, Maric had never removed the second throne, preferring to keep it empty. Prince Cailan and his wife, Princess Anora, stood behind him. Cailan was the Crown Prince and though heir to the throne, it was not yet his to claim. 

The seneschal's staff banged against the stone floor before bellowing out titles and names of the latest arrivals. "The Grey Warden Commander Duncan and the Lady Elissa Cousland!"

Elissa and Duncan lowered their heads in deference to the office of the King, but Grey Wardens were not known for being beholden to any government. They did not bow or courtesy to kings, princes, viscounts, or emperors.

Maric smiled genuinely at Duncan. "You were not expected, Warden Commander, however you are pleasant surprise."

Duncan took the opportunity presented in order to clarify the seneschal's announcement. "When Warden Elissa received the invitation, we felt it would have been improper not to come. Unfortunately Warden Aedan was called away on matters elsewhere."

Maric's eyebrows raised in surprise at Duncan's revelation. "We had heard about your brother, Warden Elissa, but your recruitment comes as a surprise."

"Your Majesty, I could never let Aedan have all the fun."

The seneschal cleared his throat. The line of guests behind them was backing up behind them. Maric sighed at the interruption, but had enough sense to acquiesce to the man. "We will talk later then, we have much to catch up on." He spoke to Duncan, but he was looking at Elissa.

Duncan led Elissa away from the Dais and Maric's stare. As they approached the side of the room, Elissa saw the upper echelon of Ferelden part for them. The Wardens had a mixed history in Ferelden and as with everything else in life, people remembered the bad and tended to forget the good. Duncan bent his head down and whispered in her ear.

"I'm curious, Warden, how did you convince the assistants to allow you to wear a dagger under that gown?" His words were meant to distract her, but as he moved close enough to smell her perfume he was the one who was distracted.

Elissa smiled and leaned against his solid form. "I didn't. I snuck the holster on after they left."

He pulled away to take two glasses of wine from the tray of a passing waiter and handed her one. He sipped from the glass while quickly glancing around the room. "Maric did us a favor you know?"

"He does seem to like you." Elissa looked at the dais, figuring out the best way to pull Anora aside without inciting her wrath.

"It's not just me he likes." Duncan shifted slightly closer to Elissa and rested his hand on the small of her back.

"It's the gown." She leaned back against his hand without realizing it.

"Probably." Duncan didn't say what he was really feeling – that he hoped it was just the gown.

After all the social choreography had been played out exactly as planned, with the slight improvisation necessary for the appearance of the Wardens, the stewards ushered the guests into the dining room with its perfectly set tables and ideally chosen dinner. Elissa found herself sitting between Maric and Anora with Duncan between Anora and Cailan. She was fairly certain that her original place setting wasn’t at the royal table, and that the shuffling of seating would lead to even more gossip.

When Maric's attention was captured by Loghain Mac Tir, Elissa figured that it was the best time to have her little chat with Anora.

"I had the most wonderful trip to Antiva, your Highness. Perhaps you would indulge me in looking at some of the pictures from my trip." Elissa pulled her phone out of her clutch and quickly pulled up the images before handing the phone to Anora.

Duncan saw her ploy and distracted Cailan with talk about the latest advancements in weaponry. The prince loved playing at soldiers and anything dealing with warfare tended to take all of his attention. Anora, polite as any noble woman forced to sit next to another noble woman, dutifully skimmed through the images. Her thumb hovered over one of the images. A picture of a document with nice visual aids pointing to all of the incriminating points.

"As a Warden, I've been lucky in that I can spend my time researching and the Warden libraries are full of ancient texts. One of the largest sections of the library holds treaties. Treaties between peoples who no longer exist, treaties between families, and treaties between kings and their people." Elissa took a sip of wine. "I've also spent more time than I should studying the different rules of court. Did you know that there is a difference between a royal Teyrn and a Teyrn? And did you also know that royal Teyrns are in line to the throne, but Teyrns are not?"

Anora stared at the image of the document.

"That's a good one isn't it? You might want to look ahead, there are few more pictures from that same location."

Reluctantly, Anora swept her thumb over the screen to look at another image of a document.

"Anyway, one of these treaties was from Calanhad's time. Apparently, if his line dies out, the Couslands are the next heirs. Can you believe it? I couldn't. My mother must not know about it since she of all people would have jumped on that information if she knew about it. However, it got me thinking and I started doing more research." Elissa paused to make sure that she had Anora's full attention.

"While a woman takes the honorific of her husband, she does not take anything else, but her children do." Elissa leaned in closer and spoke quietly enough for only Anora to hear her. "Your children will be royal, but you will not be. You can erase the entire Theirin line, but you will never be more than Queen consort. I am in line for the throne before you, even with being a Warden." Elissa reached for the phone and slid it back into the clutch after emptying the screen of the evidence. "You are not a royal, your highness. Your efforts won't get you anything but a Cousland on the throne."

Anora stared straight ahead and picked up her glass of wine. "Your trip seemed to be fruitful for you, Lady Cousland."

"Warden. Until such a time where it would be necessary, but I don't see that happening anytime soon, I am Warden Elissa, not Lady Cousland." Elissa turned away from Anora and pressed her hand down on Maric's forearm. "Your Majesty, Duncan shared with me that you've explored some of the tunnels under Fereleden in your youth."

Just as the son was easily distracted by warfare, the father was as easily distracted by ideas of adventures past. "That I did, but it was a different time for me then."

Elissa nodded her head and smiled. "Did you keep anything from your exploits? Perhaps some bit of treasure or writing?"

Maric laughed at her, "you know that anyone else would have asked about what I saw down there, you really are the academic the gossips claim you to be."

Elissa looked around the room and noticed that the tables had been cleared and the orchestra was playing music softly enough for conversation to continue. She also noticed that almost all of the guests looked impatiently towards the King's table. "I believe your guests are waiting for their king to dance so that they can as well. If I am not being too forward, perhaps I could suggest that we dance. There is no worry about offending any family since I am just a Warden and you won't have to be concerned that I might misinterpret the act as being more than just a dance."

Maric smiled at the young woman and took her hand. "You are an honor to your family, Warden."

As they moved to the dance floor and the orchestra started playing louder Elissa surprised him once more. "Ahh, but your Majesty, it is to for my benefit as well. If I am seen dancing with you, perhaps mothers will stop throwing their sons at me hoping one of them sticks."

They moved easily together, stepping without thought through the traditional Ferelden dance. "I assume that you also know the provenance of that gown you are wearing?"

"Its history was shared with me, yes."

He spun her out and when he brought her back to his chest, he bent his head down and whispered in her ear, "he is playing a dangerous game and you are the pawn he is pushing out to the middle of the board unprotected."

She waited for another spin before responding, "I am not completely defenseless, you Majesty. Besides, it's more or less a reminder of the rules of the game, no?"

The music ended and Maric escorted Elissa back to the table, neither noticed the dark eyes of the Warden Commander following their movement through the crowd. Cailan and Anora were on the dance floor as were most of the others so the chilly silence between Loghain and Duncan greeted them. Elissa slid back into her chair and Duncan slid into Anora's seat so that the four people remaining at the table had no spaces between them. The conversation was mundane. There were very few safe topics and so most of the talk centered around Elissa's gap year travels.

*******

After the assistants had removed the gown from Elissa, she changed into more comfortable attire and headed down to the study. Blackwall and Duncan were already sitting together sharing a scotch and a cigar. Elissa sat down in the chair next to Blackwall and grinned up at the massive Warden Constable. She couldn't help herself from poking at his bicep.

"Stop fondling the Constable, Warden." Duncan watched her finger with a quirked brow.

"I'm not fondling. I am merely determining if the muscle is real." Elissa grinned up at him. The wine from the gala had loosened her inhibitions enough to forget about ranks and roles.

"You did well tonight, Warden. I doubt that Anora will reach out to anyone else in the near future."

Blackwall raised an eyebrow, "the images were enough?"

Duncan chuckled, "nope. She just reminded Anora that the princess wasn't royal and that the Warden sitting next to her was in line for the throne before Anora."

"Not only me, but my father and two older brothers as well. And once Fergus is married and has kids, there will be even more." Elissa stretched out her legs in front of her and wiggled her bare feet. "She will never be more than Queen Consort no matter how many she tries to eliminate. She's not royal."

"The First will be thrilled with you, Duncan. Having three Wardens under you who all have some tie to the throne." Blackwall studied Duncan's response to his statement. Either Duncan was working to achieve some of the less than reputable ambitions of the First Warden, or he was up to something else entirely. Blackwall hoped it was the latter.

"I recruited Alistair as a favor to his mother and father and I took Elissa and Aedan because they will make good Wardens." Duncan sipped his scotch and stared at Blackwall.

Neither man saw Elissa's slight flinch at Duncan's use of future tense instead of present tense.

"Well she did good tonight." Blackwall turned to look at the muted TV pushed into an alcove of the book case that took up an entire wall. "FNN, TWN, and even the Orlaisn networks are covering your appearance." Blackwall unmuted the TV. _'the designer hasn't commented, but somehow the young Warden convinced him to unlock the House's vaults and this reporter has it on good account that Elissa Cousland will only being wearing the House's vintage designs during her month in Denerim. And Jack, even her daywear will be originals from the designer himself. This is a real coup.'_ Blackwall muted the TV before they had to hear any more about the fashion takedown of the season. 

"At least Anora hasn't fed anything to the press." Elissa looked down at her empty hands, slightly embarrassed by the reporter's words.

"She won't," Blackwall grinned at Elissa. "So, let's talk about your next task, Warden."

Elissa looked up at Duncan who just nodded his head at her.

"We have some reports of artifacts from the Deep Roads being smuggled to the surface and put on the black market." 

"We're looking for one item in particular, Warden, and that's your priority." Duncan handed Elissa a packet which she immediately opened and studied.

"If you can get some of the buyers to point you in the direction of the sellers, even better." Blackwall tapped at the pictures on her lap. "Last we heard the item was in Kirkwall, but every lead has just resulted in a dead end. We think it's in Ferelden in order to be crafted into the item the owner has commissioned."

Elissa looked up between the two men, "and you think they'll tell _me_ that they are trading in illegal goods?"

"Not directly, they won't. But someone will probably try to impress you." Duncan studied the burning end of his cigar instead of her, "you are more than just a Warden, Elissa. You're the woman who danced with the King, sat next to the Princess, and who is still the daughter of Bryce Cousland."

Elissa slid the papers back into the packet and stood up, "then I should probably study this before I go to sleep tonight. Commander, Constable." She turned and walked out of the study, leaving the two Wardens to the scotch and cigars.

Duncan growled to himself, he had looked up at her retreating back and realized, belatedly, that she was wearing those fucking yoga pants.

"Duncan?" Blackwall turned the TV off and studied his friend.

"Who signed off on yoga pants?" Duncan remained staring at the doorway.

Blackwall laughed. He couldn't help himself, Duncan was a practical saint, any of his dalliances were discreet and never talked about by either party. "Someone who didn't think that your newest Warden would look as good in them as she does, I am guessing."

"She's young, Blackwall, too young."

"Ok, so while unorthodox, it's not really reason enough."

"I'm her commander."

"Again, unorthodox, but no rule against it."

"I watched her grow up."

"That's something you need to come to terms with, but again, no real reason to keep her out of your bed."

"She just turned nineteen. I could be her father."

Blackwall leaned over his knees and looked at his friend, "Duncan, those aren't reasons, they're excuses." He looked down at his glass of scotch, "Woosley called me."

Duncan looked up, his curiosity piqued. "She did?"

"You are punishing her and she doesn't even know why. You lectured her because she had an off day? You forbade her from visiting the library? Why are you pushing her away, Duncan? Why are you trying to make her into something she isn't just so she can fail at it? You tell her to make friends, but when someone gets too close for your comfort you send them off on some assignment? You're isolating her, Duncan." Blackwall gave up any pretense of friendly advice and went straight for the chastising Duncan deserved. "You've decided that you can't have her, but you've also decided that no one else can have her either."

"I knew she listened to my meetings." Duncan ignored everything else Blackwall said.

"And it's a good thing too." Blackwall stood up, "figure it out man, or the next time Woosley calls me we're going to figure out a way to transfer her to Ansberg."

And then Duncan was alone in the study with just his thoughts to keep him company.

*******

Elissa spent the weekdays chasing down the leads she learned about during the weekends. True to Duncan's words, every young noble vied for Elissa's attention and a few young and silly men hinted about the latest treasure their families had acquired. It wasn't too difficult to figure out who the seller was, but he was far removed from the man they really wanted. They had one last weekend before they planned on returning to Soldier's Peak and the source seemed to be too insulated and protected. No one seemed to know him and no one had even heard of the item in question, much less seen it. 

She fully appreciated Duncan's laissez-faire attitude towards her during a visit to one of the arms dealers who specialized in traditional weapons. A young man, an aide to the King, approached her as she was leaving and invited her into the backseat of the car in front of the shop. "Forgive me, Warden, but if you aren't busy my employer was hoping you would be available for lunch today?"

Elissa looked down at her jeans, blouse, and riding boots, it was hardly appropriate for meeting with royalty, but going back to change might raise questions from Duncan and the King had to expect casual attire. She nodded her head and slid into the backseat with the purchases she made in the morning. She pulled out her phone and sent a quick text to Duncan, telling him not to expect her back at the townhouse for lunch. She looked out the tinted windows, belatedly checking for photographers or anyone who might have snapped a picture on their of her getting into a car with royal flags on the hood. She didn't see anyone, but she couldn't be certain and hoped that the aide had done his job.

The car pulled into an underground parking lot and the aide led her through the back hallways and stairways. There wasn't a single servant around to see her enter the palace, and Elissa considered the ramifications. Maric didn't want anyone to know about her visit. Before she could think any further about the topic, the aide stopped at a door and knocked before entering. Maric sat at the table in the center of the small room, dressed almost as casually as Elissa in cotton twill pants and a button down shirt. The Aide bowed at the waist and left the room, closing the door behind him.

Elissa nodded her head, "your Majesty."

"Please, call me Maric. There is no one around to judge your knowledge of propriety or courtesy." He waved a hand to the empty chair, "please sit down."

She sat down and pulled the napkin into her lap. "I don't think that you invited me to the palace just for lunch."

"No, I didn't." He pointed to a table off to the side that Elissa hadn't noticed before. Old artifacts covered its surface. "You said you wanted to see some of the things I found in the Deep Roads. The payment is lunch with me."

Elissa smiled at him, "that hardly seems like a payment." She was certain that there would be an additional cost, she just wasn't sure what it might be.

"Well, there's also the conversation during lunch." The king smiled at the young woman and poured her a glass of wine from the bottle chilling in the silver bucket, "and that might be a cost too much, even for you."

Elissa smiled and took a sip of wine. "That depends on the conversation, doesn't it?"

"To start, tell me how my son's doing." Maric politely ignored the shocked look at Elissa's face and bit into the chicken salad on his plate.

"Alistair is fine. He and Aedan are close. I'd like to say that Alistair keeps Aedan out of trouble, but it's more like Aedan gets Alistair into trouble." Elissa followed the King's actions and ate some of her lunch.

"Does he seem happy?"

Elissa looked up at Maric and studied his expression, the way everything about being a king weighed on his face, the wrinkles at the corner of his eyes, and the grey at his temples. Little parts aged him, but his eyes and mouth were still young looking. It couldn't be easy being king, especially being a king with a loved and cherished queen who had died early in his marriage. No other woman would have been an acceptable replacement to the people of Ferelden and he had to have a lonely life, no one to talk about mundane things.

"He's happy, Maric." Elissa gave him the only gift no one else could give him. "When he's at the Peak, I have meals with him. He's almost always laughing." They continued their lunch talking about Alistair and his exploits, the pranks Aedan and Alistair were known for, and his successes in the sparing ring.

"Thank you, Elissa." Maric pushed his chair back from the table and smiled at her. "And now for your payment," he nodded to the little table and Elissa nearly stumbled over herself to get to them.

She brought her chair over and sat down. She didn't touch the artifacts, she just stared at them.

Maric watched her for a moment, "there are gloves in the drawer." He pulled out his phone and sent a brief message while he leaned back in the chair and watched her pull on the cotton gloves so that the oils on her skin wouldn't damage the artifacts.

The aid who had brought Elissa to the palace entered the room and cleared the table. He brought another bottle of wine and bowed to his king before leaving. He was quiet enough that Elissa had no idea he had even entered, or maybe she was so preoccupied by the antiquities on the table that she was oblivious to everything around her. Maric pulled out his laptop and started on some work. He could have left her alone, the aide would have checked in on her, but for whatever reason, he decided to stay in the room.

"Maric?"

Elissa's voice pulled him from the memo about farming subsidies and he looked up at her. She was holding a broken vase inscribed with runes in her hand. "Yes?"

"This isn't from the region you were in." She ran a finger over a rune, "see this? It's the mark of a maker known to be from the region under Orlais and it's dwarven. There's no evidence of his work being in any other region than Orlais." She looked up at him, pulling her attention away from the piece in her hand. "How did it come to be in your collection?"

Maric smiled at her. "The Theirins have always had a collection of Deep Roads artifacts. Not all of these are from my venture into the tunnels."

"Your family was given permission for many pieces, but they are cataloged and well-known. This isn't on the inventory."

Maric crossed his arms over his chest and re-evaluated the girl. "Scientists certified that it isn't dangerous."

Her eyes narrowed and she looked between the piece and Maric, unsure of where to look. "But it's not in the inventory, so it's either a new acquisition, which brings up the question of how it came to be in your possession or you visited the Deep Roads more than once, and the Wardens aren't aware of additional visits."

"And what if both statements are true?" The corners of Maric's lips quirked up into a smile.

"Even if you went into the Deep Roads more than once, you wouldn't have been so close to Orlais. So it has to be an acquisition."

"What makes you so sure about that, Elissa?"

"I've had time to study the maps. I know where this would have been found and the ways to get there. Even if it had been moved, which is unlikely, the movement would still be limited." Elissa was figuring the provenance of the artifact out loud.

"What is the question you want to ask me, Elissa?" Maric picked up his glass of wine and drank from it.

"Who sold it to you?" She had worked through it. Of course her questions would have gotten to the seller, and the seller would have gone to his most powerful client to protect the source.

"We both know who the contact is." Maric cocked his head to the side and studied her.

Elissa squirmed under his scrutiny. She might be a Warden, but he was still a King and it made her anxious to feel his gaze focused entirely on her. "But you wouldn't go to a contact. He might make the delivery, but your dealings would be with someone much higher up." She reminded herself that she was a Warden and even within the Palace walls, she was out of the king's jurisdiction.

"And what do I get if I give you his name?" He poured more wine into her glass and pushed it towards her.

Elissa set the artifact down and stood up while pulling the gloves off. She picked up the glass and looked down at the king. "I'm a newly made Warden. I don't have anything you could possibly want and I don't have the authority to give you anything you could possibly want."

"On the contrary, Elissa. You can tell me what you said to Anora. The girl's been ingratiating herself to me since the Gala. You can also agree to dinner with me tonight."

"Duncan's expecting me back at the townhouse for dinner."

"Do you want the name, Elissa?" 

Elissa emptied the glass of wine in one swallow and reached into her purse for her phone. _Have dinner date – will send source's name soon._ She hit send and put the phone back in her purse after she silenced it. She smiled at Maric as he poured more wine for her and she slid the chair back to the table.

She sat down across from him and spun the glass around on the table's surface. She stalled for time, unsure of what Maric knew and what he should know. She finally looked up at him, "I shared with her some information I had learned from studying ancient treaties between one of your ancestors and the people of Ferelden."

Maric just stared at her. He would need more.

She took a drink of wine, steeling herself for the confidentiality she was about to break. "I discovered the line of succession. If Cailan and Anora don't have any children, and you have no other children that can be legitimized, my father or his heirs will be put forward to the Landsmeet."

Maric smirked. "So that's why she's on her best behavior."

"It must be unsettling to know that the woman sitting next to you has a stronger claim to the throne than you do, despite you being close enough to touch it on a daily basis." Elissa sipped her wine, "she's ambitious, Maric, and so is her father. But her father has to know the line of succession just as well as you do, and he also knows that there is a difference between a Teyrn and a royal Teyrn."

Maric nodded his head. "You want to know why her father hasn't stopped her from going after Alistair?"

Elissa shrugged her shoulders, "it just doesn't make much sense."

"Well, for as smart as the princess is, she doesn't show any sign of having sense." Maric grinned at her, "but that is only what you told her, you had to have something else, something to hold over her head?"

"We found evidence of actions that could be traced directly back to her." Elissa looked down at the glass of wine. "She isn't going after your son, Maric, she is going after a Warden, and Wardens protect Wardens." She finally looked up at him. "I paid your price, Maric."

"Dinner was part of that price too." Maric leaned back in the chair and closed his laptop.

"You aren't going to tell me until after dinner? Don't you trust me?" Elissa looked down and smoothed the placket on her blouse. She saw the movement on the surface of the table and looked up. Maric was sliding a piece of paper across the table towards her.

"I trust you, Elissa."

Elissa looked down at the name and her brow furrowed. She was familiar with the name, but she couldn't quite place it. She pulled her phone from the purse and sent Duncan the name - _Tethras_. The phone went back into the bag and she picked up the paper and stared at the name. 

Maric stretched out his legs and crossed his ankles while he was busy sending his own texts.

Elissa looked up and around the room. For the first time she noticed the couch against the far wall and the doorway that didn't lead into the hall. "Am I going to be stuck here until dinner?"

Maric didn't look up from the messages he was sending, instead he waved towards the artifacts. "I'm fairly certain you could spend the next several hours lost in thought studying those artifacts. Shall I send for some paper so you can take notes?"

After several minutes of silence, Maric finally looked up to find Elissa bent over the table and focusing on the items.

*******

"Elissa?" Maric's arms wrapped around her from behind as he pulled her against his chest. He woke up when she sat straight up in bed and when she didn't move or even seem to breathe, he reached out to comfort her. He held her close, but she didn't relax against him. Keeping one arm around her waist, he pushed her hair aside and nuzzled his lips against her neck. "Elissa, you need to wake up, sweetness. It's just a nightmare. Wake up for me, Elissa." His lips moved along her neck to her ear, where he whispered meaningless words in an attempt to wake her up.

She finally jerked out of it, but not out of his arms. She tried to pull away from him, but his arms just tightened around her. "No, sweetness, you aren't in any state to go anywhere." He laid back down and pulled her against him, wrapping his arms and legs protectively around her body. He didn't intend to sleep with her, but she was good company and they drank a lot of wine together. He couldn't make any promises to her. What he could do at least was to give her comfort after waking up from a nightmare. And so he stroked her arm and whispered nonsense about ancient histories until he felt her breathing even out. 

He pushed aside the thoughts lingering in his mind preventing sleep. His aide would return her to the townhouse in the morning and he wouldn't see her again until he decided to call for her, and only if she agreed to it. But none of the thoughts were all that urgent or really needed answers, in fact they were better off not being answered at all. He trusted his aide and he trusted the young woman in bed with him.

She turned around to face him and he felt her lips brush against the skin under his jaw. Sleep was no longer a thought for either of them.

******

Gifts arrived at the townhouse for Elissa, most of them were from admirers and just tossed aside, but one, an original text of the history of Highever, received more attention. Duncan knew enough to realize that any young man who wanted her attention sent jewelry or flowers, this gift was from someone who was mature enough to appreciate that not all women were impressed with baubles or blooms. He also knew enough to figure out that the sender, though discreet, could only be from one person.

The ride back to Soldier's Peak was silent, except for the sound coming from the radio that Elissa continued to fiddle with. In fact, the last week at the townhouse was almost as silent. Duncan didn't know where or how she had found the name of the source and he didn't want to ask her in case it answered other questions. So they trained together during the week, attended social events during the weekends, and in between, they tried to chase down the location of the item. They went through the motions until it was time to leave and though it would be nice to get back to the Peak and the distraction of the other Wardens, it would never be enough to erase all the doubts lingering in Duncan's mind.

**Author's Note:**

> Here's a [link to the gown](http://www.wornthrough.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/DIOR_PALMYRE.jpg) worn by Elissa. This particular gown is couture Dior worn by Wallis Simpson and as I was looking at different couture gowns, this one stood out as the perfect gown for a Warden to wear. Since Moira wasn't ever recognized as queen, and Wallis could never be the queen, it seemed perfect. Plus, if you do a search for Dior and Wallis Simpson you can see a lot more images for dresses and clothing I imagine that Elissa would have worn in Denerim. I don't like referencing specific brands from our world, so I didn't name the designer, but the house that dressed Elissa for the season is in fact Christian Dior.


End file.
